1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to narrow-width modular printing mechanism and, more specifically, to self-contained module including a print bar, paper drive, platen and service station suitable for use as a drop-in module for a printing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional inkjet print engines contain three primary components which are generally organized in series. These components are the platen (including the print zone), the spittoon, in which excess print drops are disposed, and the service station where cartridge wiping and capping functions occur.
In a conventional inkjet print engine, there may be two or more ink cartridges, or printheads, mounted side-by-side on a traversing carriage which moves substantially perpendicular to the path of the media, e.g. sheets of paper, which pass through the machine to be printed upon. Caps are used to prevent the cartridges from drying out during periods of non-use and they are spaced at a center-to-center distance of the cartridges, as the cartridges are mounted in the carriage, so that each cartridge can be simultaneously capped during periods of inactivity.
Wipers for cleaning the cartridge nozzles during servicing are often mounted on the same center-to-center distance of the cartridges mounted in the carriage. This allows the wipers to move in synchrony while simultaneously wiping the cartridges. This feature renders the wipers capable of being actuated by a common mechanism.
The spittoon can be one common receptacle for receipt of excess ink drops from the cartridges, although in some cases incompatibilities between inks has resulted in the use of separate spittoons.
In conventional inkjet printers, the three above-described components are disposed linearly with a consequent unwanted increase in the width of the finished inkjet engine. In recognition of the problem presented by a wide system, an attempt at optimization, such as staggering the wipers between the caps, has been made. Even here, however, the width of the inkjet printer is the sum of service station width (comprised of capping width, plus one wiper, since the other wiper is disposed between the two caps), plus the platen (having a width at least equal to the width of the media to be printed upon), plus the width of the spittoon(s).
A printing module of reduced size would allow integrators to produce a printing mechanism with a smaller overall size and footprint which is generally viewed as desirable, particularly for marketing to potential purchasers who have limited desktop and/or vertical space. Other potential advantages of a narrower print engine include shorter carriage travel over a shorter slider rod, lower product weight and lower cost.
While the following detailed description relates to inkjet printers, it will be recognized that the principles set forth apply also to small footprint devices in general, such as copiers, fax machines, scanners and combinations thereof
According to the present invention, a narrow-width modular printing mechanism is provided which is substantially reduced in width compared to conventional 2-pen print mechanisms utilizing TIJ2.0 printing technology (typically range from 400 mm to 430 mm in width) for systems with equivalent functionality. For the narrow-width modular printing mechanism of the present invention, height and depth dimensions have also been substantially reduced.
A narrow-width modular printing mechanism for a printer in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention includes: an integrated platen/service station assembly positioned within the printer, the integrated platen/service station assembly including a platen member and a service station mechanically coupled together, the service station including a bottom portion, at least one cap, at least one wiper and a mechanism for displacing the caps and the wipers relative to the bottom portion, the platen member being formed with a plurality of apertures which are positioned and sized to facilitate displacement of the caps and the wipers through the platen member, the integrated platen/service station assembly being configured to accommodate a front-in, front-out paper path of the printer.
A narrow-width modular printing mechanism for a printer in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention includes: a bottom portion, a cap sled assembly with at least one cap, a wiper sled assembly with at least one wiper, and an actuator fork assembly with a cap sled fork and a wiper sled fork, the cap sled fork being mechanically coupled to the cap sled assembly, the wiper sled fork being mechanically coupled to the wiper sled assembly, the actuator fork assembly being adapted to displace the cap sled assembly and the wiper sled assembly relative to the bottom portion; and a platen formed with a plurality of apertures which are positioned and sized to facilitate displacement of the at least one cap and the at least one wiper through the platen. In a preferred embodiment, the actuator fork assembly includes an actuator shaft and a mechanism for rotating the actuator shaft. In a preferred embodiment, the rotating mechanism includes a cam follower which is secured to the actuator shaft.
A narrow-width modular printing mechanism for a printer in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention includes: a platen/service station assembly including a platen member and a service station secured below the platen member, the service station including a self-aligning cap sled with a plurality of alignment guide members and at least one cap, the platen member being formed with a plurality of apertures which are positioned and sized to facilitate displacement of the alignment guide members and the at least one cap through the platen member. In a preferred embodiment, the plurality of alignment guide members include at least three alignment guide members. In a preferred embodiment, the plurality of alignment guide members are positioned in a nonlinear arrangement across the self-aligning cap sled.
The above described and many other features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the invention becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.